Steven Mitchell/US PresswireDavid Clarkson called the birth of his daughter "a very good experience."

Penguins forward Mike Rupp said there is no animosity towards Devils center David Steckel for his New Year's Day hit on Sidney Crosby while Steckel was still a member of the Washington Capitals.

"People have insinuated animosity. The question is: Do you forget about these things? No, because we still don't have our guy back," Rupp said today. "But we have not said a word about it in our room.

"Are we going to react? No. We've played him twice since it happened. I think it's a little overblown."

Steckel and Crosby collided in the Winter Classic in Pittsburgh. Four days later, Crosby suffered another hit from Tampa Bay's Vuictor Hedman and hasn't played since with what has been called a concussion.

Rupp would not say whether he thought Steckel's hit was accidental or intentional.

"It's hard to say. I don't know if I can pass judgment to say if it was definitely one or definitely the other," Rupp said.

Steckel maintained it was accidental.

"It was completely unintentional. I feel as bad as anybody, to be honest," he told me. "I spent the rest of January being asked about the hit directly or about rule changes that should be made. It's something I'm living with every day, although I'm not saying that anyone should feel sorry for me."

He has tried to contact Crosby to apologize, but hasn't been able to reach him through friends.

"No. I would like to," Steckel said.

He tried to get a message to Crosby through Pens defenseman Deryk Engelland, a former teammate in Hershey (AHL).

Asked if he thinks the Penguins believe the hit was intentional, he said: "I don't know, to be honest. I would hope not. At the same time, it's hockey and whatever happens, happen.

"Being hockey players, I'd hope that they'd understand. Obviously there is the heat of the battle as far as when Washington and Pittsburgh play."

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David Clarkson said his pregnant wife, Brittany, called him at 2:45 p.m. Thursday to say she'd gone into labor. She gave birth to their daughter, McKinnley Madison Clarkson, at 11 a.m. today.

"She was in labor for 20 hours," said Clarkson, who was excused from the morning skate. "It was a battle from the beginning but she did great. I had her laughing bhy the time I left and I gave the baby a kiss. I'll go back tonight."

The happy right winger said his wife's biggest concern before going to the hospital was getting their Wheaton Terrier into doggy day care.

He explained the name.

"It's something different, unless you're Scottish. (Brittany) liked it," Clarkson said. "I figured she did all the work. After all that, I figured, 'Whatever you want to call her.'

"I was really thinking boy the whole time. It was a very good experience."